Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

NOTEBOOK “β”

TAYLOR,SHOP MANAGEMENT

Fred. W. Taylor,Shop Management(translation andadditionsbyWallichs). Second edition, Berlin,1912.

Wallichs visited America in 1911. An example “from the Bethlehem steel plant” (p. 17):

Another example (in marks) (p. 32)

“...the difficult period of transition from the slow pace of ordinary work to the high speed which is the leading characteristic of good management” (29)....

p. 9: “The main aim of systematic go-slow practices is to keep the shop management ignorant of the potential productivity of machines and workers.

“This go-slow technique is so universal that hardly a competent workman can be found in a large establishment with conventional wage systems who does not devote a consider able part of his time to studying just how slowly he can work and still convince his employer that he is going at a good pace” (9)....

Another example (p. 33 et seq.). Girls tested polished steel ballsby hand, rejecting them as spoilage if roughnesses, etc., were found.

Observation, control and “time studies” were introduced and the best workers chosen, etc., etc. “It turned out that the girls spent a considerable part of their time talking, or actually doing nothing. The most negligent girls were set apart or, if incorrigible, dismissed” (35)....

“System of functions” of theforemen

I)in the workshop

1. Organising foremen (of the work itself)2. Foremen to adjust speed of work3. Testing foremen4. General supervisory foremen (order).

II.in the office

1. Route Clerk—sets tasks for each shop2. Instruction Card Clerk—specifies how the job is to be done3. Time and Cost Clerk4. Shop Disciplinarian (general supervision)

p. 50 [§ 133 (281-83)]. The best factories have one “non-productive” to six or seven productive workers. The worst have one “non-productive” to eleven productive.

p. 67. Conditions for “reform” ((time required for it =2-4years!!)) ... “that a body of workers of exceptionally high productivity should be enlisted, who will work extra hard and receive extra high wages”...

...“that the number of supervisory foremen and officials should be at least doubled” (67).

(winning overandbuying upworkers byturningthemintoforemen)

Further, bytenthsof a second (p. 84) (special watches)—the smallest operations were studied (putting down a spade; taking up a wheel barrow; moving a wheel barrow; placing a wheel barrow; taking up a spade, etc., etc.), and measurement made (cubic metres) of the size of a wheel barrow,idemof a spade, etc., etc.

For measurement, thebest(91) workers are to be chosen and paid ahigherpay (promisingan increase of pay)....

Yet another example: overhauling and cleaning of boilers. The author told his assistant to study this. The latter was a novice and didnothing. The author personally carried out the work, making a careful time study. It turned out that a great part of the time was lost owing to the “constrained position” of the workman (99). “Protective pads” were made “to fasten to the elbows, knees and hips, and special tools and appliances were made for the various work operations,” etc., etc. (100).

In the ten years the author worked at the Midvale Steel Works there were no strikes. The best workers did not join the unions, for they received the best (highest) pay.

There is a lot of talk about the unity of interests of the working class and the employers, etc. The author isforfines as the best disciplinary measure....  Fines for the benefit of the accident insurance fund ((from five pfennigs to 250 marks—the size of the finesboth againstofficialsand againstoneself!!))....

Gilbreth introduced it into the work of bricklayers and raised the number of bricks laid per worker from 120 to 350 per hour (109) by reducing the number of operations from eighteen to five....

Appendix. Discussion. Many maintain that Taylor isreckoning withouthis host: the workers’ organisations will not permit it (119, 116 and others).

p. 129: Oberlin Smith proposes teaching the Taylor system in the schools....